Firearm and stock structure therefor



Feb. 3, 1948. c. H. HOWELL, JR

FIREARM AND STOCKSTRUCTURE THEREBUR Filed May 2, 1945 meve Hpflmwai'l,Jn

P'atentecl Feb. 3, 1948 w f oox smoc'rrmg THEREFOR Cleves H. Howell,Jr., Estes Park, Golo.

Application May 2, 1945, Serial No. 591,599

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

7 Claims.

The invention, described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon. V

This invention relates to an improved firearm and more particularly toan improved rifle especially designed for use by special troops such aspara-troopers or raiders.

It is an aim of the invention to provide a rifle which will be extremelylight in weight, compact and convenient to carry and which is capable ofbeing fired either as a shoulder weapon or similar to asub-machinegun. V

More particularly,- it is an object of this invention to provide ar-ifle having a novel construction o'f stock including a detachable rearsection capable of being quickly and easily applied to or removed fromthe rear end of the front section of the stock, and which, whendetached, is demountably supported beneath the front section and. in aposition convenient for carrying the rifle and from which position theweapon can be fired in the same manner a sub-machine gun.

A further aimof the invention is to provide a rifle of the abovedescribedcharacter having a stock formed of a lightweight metal such asaluminum to thereby reduce the weight of the weapon and increase itsdurability.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, whichillustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein: I V

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a firearm, constructed -accordance with the invention, with the stock disassembled from its-normal operative position and applied in a position for-carrying theweapon;

Figure 2 isan enlarged side elevational view, partly in section, showingthe detachable stock section mounted in the fixed stock section;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the detachable stocksection -in its applied position for use of the rifle as 'a shoulderweapon;

Figure 4 is an end view in elevation looking toward the rear end ofthe-forward stocksection, with the rear stock section detached; and

Figure -5 is -a fragmentary-end view in elevation looking toward theforward end of the detached rear stock section. 7

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein like referencecharacters "designate like or, corresponding. parts throughout theseveral views, 6 designates .rgenerally =a rifle =constructedill-accordance with the invention and which isv amended Aliril 30, 1928;3 70 0. G. 757) similar in construction and operation to the,

United States Army rifle lVII with the exception that the stock,designated generally 1 of the rifle 6, and which comprises theinvention, is of a modified construction.

The rifle '5 includes the usual barrel 8, receiver 9 and triggermechanism, a portion of which is indicated at H). These parts are ofconventional construction and a further description thereof is thereforeconsidered unnecessary.

The stock 1 is preferably formed of a light weight metal such asaluminum and includes a front section II in which is mounted the barrel8., receiver 9 and trigger mechanism ID. The stock 1 also includes adetachable rear section l2. The section II terminates behind andadjacent the rear end oi the receiver 9 and is provided at its rear endwith a, rearwardly extending and arearwardly opening socket I3, whichpreferably is formed vintegral with the section II and the interior ofwhich is provided with longitudinally extending alternate lands andgrooves, the lands of which are threaded to provide an interruptedthreadl4. The stock -I I, adjacent its rear end and behind and adjacentthetrigger and trigger guard of the trigger mechanism 10, is provided withan integral depending pisto1 grip I5. The section H, intermediate of itsends, is provided with a recess [6 for-med in the under side thereof,the forward end of which is defined by a depending lug or projection '11and the rear end of which is defined'by a forwardly facing shoulder IS.The lug 'l l is provided with a rearwardly opening recess 119. Therecess ['6 is shown provided with a depending side wall '20 on one sidethereof and said recess opens laterally of the stock section H on itsother side for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. Theunder side of the stock section l directly to the rear of the shoulderi8, is provided with a slidably mounted latch 21 which is mountedthereon by means of a screw fastening 22 which extends through and isslidab'ly engaged by an elongated longitudinally disposed s10t2'3 in thelatch 21.

The rear stock section 12 comprises an elongated shank or stem portion24 having a restricted "forward end provided with longitudinallyextending alternate lands and grooves, the lands of which are threadedto form amale interrupted threaded joint element 25 which is shaped andsized to fit and threadedly engage the female =coupling element [3, formounting the sections ,1! and I2 in assembled, end to end relationship,.as illustrated in Figure 3. Therear stocksection [2 at its rear end 'is.providedmith an integral depending pistol grip portion 26 the back edgeof which, together with the rear end of the stem portion 24, is madeslightly concave as seen at 21 to generally conform to the contour ofthe shoulder and which forms the butt portion of the rifle 6.

The pistol grips I and 26 are each provided with roughened or serratedsides to facilitate gripping these parts. Said pistol grips are alsoprovided with depending sling swivels 28 to which are connected anadjustable sling 29. V

The detachable stock section I2 is applied to the rear end of the stocksection II by inserting the coupling element 25 into the couplingelement I3, while canted slightly to the left, after which the stocksection I2 is rotated in a clockwise direction, looking from rear tofront of the rifle 6, and the threads of the coupling section I4 and 25are so arranged that a tight fit will be accomplished when the pistolgrip 26 is in substantially the same plane as the pistol grip I5. Withthe rifle 6, thus assembled, as, seen in Figure 3, it is adapted to befired as a shoulder weapon by placing the butt. portion 2'! against theshoulder, grasping the grip I5 and operating the trigger with a fingerof the hand,corresponding to the shoulder against which the butt isplaced, and steadying the rifle by placing the other hand beneath theforward stock section II, in a conventional manner. For carrying therifle, the stock section I2 is detached and applied to the recess I6.This is accomplished, with the latch 2| in a retracted position, byinserting the element 25 into the socket I9, which is laterally enlargedfor loosely receiving the element 25, with the stem 24 disposed atanangle to the axis of the rifle 6, after which stock section I2 is swunglaterally into the recess I6. The latch 2| is then moved forwardly tocause its forward end toengage in a rearwardly opening recess or keeper30 in the rear end of the stem 24 for detachably fastening the stocksection I2 in the recess I6. With the parts thus positioned, as seen inFigure l, the rifle 6 can be readily carried either swung over theshoulder by means of the sling 29 or under the arm by, grasping thepistol grip 26; or rifle 6 may be fired, similarly to asub-machine gun,by grasping the two pistol grips I5 and 26.

Obviously, the flange or wall 20 could be provided on either side of thestock section I I to permit stock section I2 to be applied and detachedfrom the recess I6, or if desired, the wall 26 could be omitted entirelyto permit applying the stock section I2 from either side of the stocksection I I. Instead of the conventional sliding latch 2|, as disclosed,a spring projected sliding latch could be employed. Also the stock I maybe formed of wood or other suitable material. Likewise, various othermodifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resortedto as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed,and the right is reserved to make such modifications in the invention asdo not depart from the spirit and scope thereof as hereinafter definedby the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rifle having a stock formed of a forward and a rear section, saidsections being detachably connected in end to end relationship behindand adjacent the rifle receiver, said rear section including a shankhaving an integral depending pistol grip at the rear end thereof forminga stock butt, said forward section adjacent its rear end having adepending integral pistol grip, and means for receiving and detachablymounting the rear stock section on the underside of and intermediate ofthe ends of the forward stock section whereby said pistol grips arespaced relative to each other longitudinally of the forward stocksection.

2. A rifle as in claim 1, said pistol grips having depending slingswivels, and an adjustable sling connected to said swivels.

3. A rifle as in claim 1, said forward section being recessed in itunderside and intermediate of its ends to receive the rear section, anda latch for detachably retaining the rear section in said recess andwith its pistol grip depending therefrom.

4. A rifie as in claim 1, said section having a quick detachableinterrupted thread joint for connecting the sections in end to endrelationship.

,5. In a firearm, the combination of a barrel, a receiver, a triggermechanism, a forward stock section containing said barrel, receiver andtrigger mechanism in cooperative relationship with each other, a pistolgrip depending from said forward stock section rearwardly of saidtrigger mechanism, a rear stock section, a depending portion on saidrear stock section and cooperating means on said forward stock sectionand said rear stock section for detachably securing the latter sectionto the forward stock section at either of two spaced positions thereof,whereby when the rear stock section is in one of said positions thedepending portion of said rear stock section will be spacedlongitudinally and rearwardly of the pistol grip and the firearm maythen be fired from and recoil taken by the shoulder of an operator orwhen the rear stock section is in the other of said positions thedepending portion of said rear stock section will be spacedlongitudinally and forwardly of the pistol grip and the firearm may thenbe fired from and recoil taken by the hands of the operator.

6. In a firearm, the combination of a barrel, a receiver, a triggermechanism, a forward stock section containing said barrel, receiver andtrigger mechanism in cooperative relationship with each other, a firstattaching means at the rear end of said forward stock section, a secondattaching means intermediate the ends of said forward stock section, apistol grip depending from said forward stock section rearwardly of saidtrigger mechanism, a detachable rear stock section, a depending portionon said rear stock section, said rear stock section provided with meansfor detachably engaging either said first or said second attachingmeans, whereby when said rear stock. section is detachably secured tosaid first attaching means, the rear stock section forms an extension ofthe forward stock section and the gun may then be fired from and recoiltaken by the shoulder of the operator, or when said rear stock'sectionis detachably secured to said second detaching means, the gun may bethen fired from and recoil taken by the hands of the operator. "'7. In afirearm, the combination of a barrel, a receiver, a trigger mechanism, aforward stock section containing said barrel, receiver and triggermechanism in cooperative relationsh p with each other, a pistol gripdepending from said for ward stock'section rearwardly of saidtriggermechanism, a detachable rear stock section, a depending portion on saidrear stock section, and means to detachably secure said rear stocksection rearwardly of the forward stock section whereby the dependingportion may be spaced rearwardly of the pistol grip to'permit firing ofthe gun from the shoulderiof an operatorand meansto detachably securesaid detachable rear 5 stock section intermediate the ends of saidIbrward stock section whereby the depending portion is spaced forwardlyof the pistol grip to permit firing of the firearm fronfthe hands of theoperator. 7

CLEYES H. HOWELL, JR.

REFERENCES CITED H The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Balensiefer Dec. 4, 1894 Number NumberNumber 0 168,890 376,520

